Heating and air circulating apparatus



A. R. LINTERN ET AL HEATING AND AIR CIRCULATING APPARATUS Jan. 5, 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Jan. 25, 1928 I /Al gmntow Jan, 5, 1932. A. R. LiNTERN ET AL 1,839,688

HEATING AND AIR CIRCULATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 25, 19-28 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwmzwtom w pgmm Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES QPAYTENT A oFFmE ALFRED B. LINTERN AND GEORGE D. LINTERN, F CLEVELAND; OHIO HEATING AND AIR CIRCULATING APPARATUS Application filed January 25,1928, Serial No. 249,299. Renewed December 17, 1930.

This invention relates to heating and ventilating apparatus, particularly to such apparatus for closed bodies on pleasure cars, taxi cabs and motor busses.

. The essential object is to provide an efficient and compact vehicle heating apparatus. A further object is to provide a fan operated air circulating and heating device in connection with a heating element such as a motor exhaust manifold, in which the fan and driving means therefor is protected against damage by heat from such heating element. A further object is to provide a ventilating and heating apparatus which shall be unitary in character and extremely easy to install. As shown in the drawings, our device is of two forms, namely: one in which the fan unit is closely associated with the heater unit but mounted in a separate chamber so as to be protected against excessive heat, and another wherein the fan unit is substantially adjacent but separate from the heating element and connected therewith by a tube. Either form of device is well adapted to. fit into the usual vehicle body construction without disturbing the parts thereof other than to cut opening for affording the necessary air passage.

The features common to both arrangements shown, as well as the distinctions between them, will be. more fully discussed in the following detailed description. .Further objects of the invention will also appear. The essential characteristics, of the invention are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a transverse fragmentary sectional View of one lower corner of a vehicle body and showing adjacent portions of the side Wall and floor. Thisfigure shows the preferred form of heating and ventilating arrangement. Fig. 2 is a substantially central cross sectional view in a plane parallel to the showing of Fig. 1 the air heating and circulating device being viewed from the opposite direction; Fig. 3 is a side eleva: tion of the form of device shown in Fig. 1 broken away to illustrate the construction'of the heating element; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of a passenger body. and showing a modified form of our invention in side elevation; Fig. 5 is a substantially central longitudinal sectional view through the modified form in a plane parallel to that of Fig. 4.

In ventilating the vehicle bodies it is high-, 1y desirable to be able to maintain aconstant circulation of air through the body at all times. By the use of our invention we are enabled to circulate a large volume of air through the body, either heated or at normal temperature, whether the vehicle is moving or standing. It is also highly desirable to controlthe flow of air in such manner that the degree of heatimpartedto the whole vo1- ume of air delivered may be easily varied.

while maintaining this volume substantially constant for ventilation. Our arrangement is well adapted to effect this.

The problem of overcoming hot spot conditions in heating apparatus is consid erable. Our device is particularly well ar-. ranged in this regard, in fact there is no appreciable localization of heat at any\point in the body mainly because of the large volume of air delivered, which necessarily absorbs only a small degree of heat, per unit of air, in order'to completely warm the body in a short time.

Thearrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises an air directing and circulating unit entirely above the floor, including a fan element and an air duct element which are arranged to communicate one with: the other- I through a heating unit placed below the floor, a'nd exclusive of the heater unit selectively. This form will now be described in detail.

In the arrangement shown the air directing and circulating unit comprises 'a hollow housing section 1 affording an air receiving space 2, adjacent the fan, and, an air discharge space 3. The unit further comprises a separable fan housing section 4 communicating with the space 2. The housing 1 has a floor portion 5 with openings 6 and 7 therethrough. The opening 6 leads from the space 2 into the heater unit housing 10, which is positioned entirely below the vehicle bodyfloor F. The

opening 7 affords communication from the housing 10 into the discharge chamber or space 3. The housing 10 contains a suitable heating element. sh own as comprising a manition of the housing 1 are a pair of partition members in the nature of dampers 15 and 16, pivotally mounted by means of respective shafts 15' or 16. In the position shown, these partitions prevent direct communication of air from the space 2 to the space 3. These partitions may be swung down to close the respective openings 5 and 6 in which case through passage of air is afforded from one end of the housing 1 to the other, exclusive of the heater unit housing. Individual arms hold the partitions in adjusted position by causing the screws to bear against the adjacent wall of the housing 1.

The fan 21 may be of any convenient type and is positioned within a frame 25 providing a circular opening just clearing the fan blades. The frame may be flanged at 25 to bridge across the joint between the housing sections 1 and 4. The flange may be bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the walls of the housing 1. A suitable electric motor for driving the fan is shown at 21 adjustably secured in place by reason of a bar 22 engaging a hollow boss 23 on a floor plate 23, the latter being secured to the vehicle body floor-as by screws (not shown).

The fan housing section 4, rests upon and is secured to the floor plate 23 by reason of ears 23 on the plate, adapted to receive screws (not shown) carried by the side walls of the housing section. Thus the fan and motor may be entirely uncovered for the purposes of inspection, oiling, etc.,'simply by removing the section 4. Air is supplied to the fail through any convenientarrangement of openings, there being perforations 4 in the end wall of the section 4 and similar openings 4" in the side walls. Suitable means for controlling the fan motor may comprise any convenient arrangement .of electrical conductors (not' shown) including a source of supply such as a battery arranged to be controlled 0- by a switch at the instrument board of the 5 vehicle.

When the fan motor is started, air is drawn in through the openings 4' and 4. and forced into the chamber 2, then deflected downward ly by the top wall of the housing section 1,

' shown as inclined, and by the partition member 15 into the heating unit housing 10. A depending partition plate 27 serves to divide the single opening in the floor into an inlet and outlet for the heater unit housing. The plate preferably makes contact with the ad- 'acent housing parts at its top and side edges, ut is spaced from the bottom of the housing 10. to provide a generous air passage. The plate thus distributes the air uniformly over 35 the manifold of pipes, where it absorbs heat 17 carrying thumb screws 17 may serve to radiated by the pipes. The air then passes upwardly through the opening 7 into the discharge chamber. Preferably both openlow velocity will attain a fairly high temperature, but the heating value will be less because it will not as readily permeate the entire body as will a large volume of air at higher velocity.

A convenient installation of the device is as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the intake end of the upper housing is directed inwardly toward the "center of the vehicle, and the discharge end toward the side wall of "the vehicle, designated W. The housing 1 is purposely made of such dimensions as-to fit under the usual seat structure which is shown conventionally at S. The relation of the housing to the seat structure may of course be reversed, or the housing turned at right angles to the position shown, as determined by installation problems and conditions. "The heating unit housing .10 is preferably a boxlike structure-with insulated side and bottom Walls and solid end plates for supporting the manifold pipes and exhaust line adapters. The side and bottom walls comprise inner wall sections of sheet-metal 30, outer sections of similar sheet metal 31, and an intermediate layer of heat insulating material, such as asbestos,v this layer being designated 32. The end walls are preferably comparatively thick metal plates 33, to which the side and bottom walls just described are attached, as by reason of marginal portions 31 of the outer layer 31 overlying the peripheral edges of the plates.

The housing is supported by an annular frame 34 having horizontal flanges 35 adapted to be sustained by the vehicle body floor preferably by bolts (not shown) passing through the flange 35, the floor and flanges 1' on the housing 1. The plates 33 may be bolted to the depending portions of the frame as shown in Fig. 3 In order to prevent damage to the body floor by excessive heat from the manifold we provide comparatively heavy insulating gaskets at 36 and 37 between the sion is in close overlapping e. telescoping relation to a depending skirt portion 39 of r the housing 1. The telescoping arrangement .of parts 34 and 39 permits considerable variing. The ends of these pipes may be brazed into openings in the plates 33, or otherwise secured in such openings to afford gas tight joints. In order to incorporate these pipes into the exhaust line, we preferably use hollow adapter members, such as 40 attached as by means of flanges 41 to the plates 33, these adapters being brazed onto, or otherwise suitably secured to respective sections E and E of the exhaust pipe. The adapters are generally conical in shape mainly to prevent back pressure at the discharge end of the manifold. Suitable means such as bafiles (not. shown) may be employed within the adapted members to provide uniform distribution of the ex-' With the above described arrangement heated air may be circulated through the body of the vehicle in varying volumes, depending upon the rate of operationof the fan. If

desired, however, we may circulate air in the body of thevehicle without heating it, as

l for simply ventilating the body in warm weather. This is by reasonof the movably mounted partition members 15 and 16, which as previously mentioned may be swung down to efi'e tively close the openings 6 and 7. The

air is t en blown straight through the housing 1 exclusive of the heating chamber.

If desired. the device above described may be used with the partition members 15. and 16 in inclined position, thusallowing a portion of the air delivered by the fan to pass directly through the housing 1, while another portion will be shuntedsthrough the heating chamber. Thus various heating and ventilating effects may be obtained with a constant speed fan'motor.

In the modified form shown in Figs. Land 5; a somewhat diflerent arrangement is provided, mainly for constructional reasons, and in order to cut down the size of the apparam lieu thereof air may be drawn from the its upper end, which may be bolted, to a flange 58 on the fixture 55, the bolts passing through the vehicle body floor F as shown. 60 designates the fan and 61 the motor which may have any suitable support (not shown).

The 'fan chamber communicates with the tube 51 through a hollow conical fitting 64: in registration with the fan. This fitting has cross fins or webs 66 disposed entirely across it, and in planes parallel to the axis of the fan. The purpose of this is to enable the use of a compartively small tube 51. We find that the fins prevent eddy currentsto such an extent that the fan will deliver approximately the same volume of air through a tube in the proportions shown as could be delivered by a tube .almostas'large as the fan. The arrangement of the heater chamber 53 and manifold parts is similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, and the similar parts are correspondingly numbered, viz. 11', 40', etc.

In this form of device,'we find it desirable to space the heater slightly from. the floor and suspend it as on hanger brackets 69. The top of the heater chamber has an opening formed by an upwardly extending annular flange 70 into which the lower end of a sleeve 71 telescopes. This sleeve is flanged as at 72 above the floor F for securing the sleeve to the floor. The sleeve 71 is extended as at 73 abovethe flange and is provided at its top edge with a dish shaped deflector, or air distributing device 75 arranged to be raised and lowered as by means of a series of straps 76 depending from the deflector into sliding engagement with the interior of .the sleeve portion 73. The straps have thumb screws 78 secured thereto, which extend through slots 79 in the sleeve portion 73, by

reason of which arrangement the deflector may be locked in raised or lowered pos1tion.-

if desired, we may provide for evacuating the air from the body by means of the fan,- thus securing forced ventilation for the body without returning'the heated air to the body. The device for accomplishing this-may comprise a slidable cap member 80 surmounting the heater housing and arranged to uncover a series of openings 83 in such wall, when slid to one of its positions. The member 80 may be suitably lockedin either position as by set screws (not shown). Whenso operabove the floor of the vehicle body, a housating the device, the deflector is lowered onto ing below the body floor adapted to contain the sleeve extension 73 to close it. I a heating unit, a fanlocated in one end of From the above description it will be seen said first named housing, means for driving that we have provided an air heating and cirthe fan, movable partition means affording culating unit which is simple in character, communication from the. fan containing porof comparatively few parts, eflicient and very tion of the first named housing to the other compact. It will be further seen that the mo end of the housing through the heater unit tor and fan are protected agai'nstexcessive containing portion, said means being operheating from" the manifold, by reason of beable to close such communication and to open ing in a separate chamber in each formcommunication directly through, the first shown, and it will be further seen that by the named housing exclusive of the heater unit use of the device a'largevolume of air ma housinga v be circulated through a vehicle bodyat sufii 5. In combination, a vehicle body, a wall ciently high temperature to heatthe body. therefor having an 'opening therethrough, With regard to the second form described, means dividing the opening and affording an the circulation of air isnormally through the air outlet at one side thereof and an air inlet heater, but for summer weather the body may at "the other, air flow inducing means ar- -be simply evacuated ofstale air, which is ranged to force air fromthe body through blown out through and from the heater chamthe outlet side of said opening, said means ber below the floor boards, fresh air being adbeing positioned adjacent said opening, holmitted to the body in any suitable known low means exteriorly of the body positioned manner. 1 v j adjacent and communicating with both sides We claim V 1; In a'device ofthe class described, air in said hollow means. 7

forcing means adapted to be positioned on 6. In combination, a vehicle body, a horione side of'the wall of a. body to be ventilated, zontal floor, therefor having an opening a heating device including a housing and therethrough, air flow inducin means disheating element therein adapted to be placed posed adj acent said opening an arranged to on the other side of said wall, and adjustable force air from within'the body through said means to selectively cause the air forcing opening, means forming a two part chamber means to circulate air in the body through below the floor, one part communicating d1- the heating ,device housing and to circulate rectly with the floor opening, a heating eleair in thebody while entirely preventing merit disposed in the other part, means procontactthereof with said heating element. viding an outlet conduit from the heating 2. In an air heating and circulating apelement containing chamber part to within paratus'for afvehicle body, an air'circiilating the body and movable means arranged to unit,"includin chamber'forming means 'asclose the conduit and said opening and to v sociated with the body floor, a fan and means thereby prevent direct radiation of heat from for driving the fan located in said-cha her, the element to the body. a I a heater unit positioned below the ve icle 7. In combination, a vehicle body, a subbody floor, and selectively adjustable means stantially horizontal floor therefor having 7 for directing air from the fan throughthe a through opening, air flow inducing means heater unit and into the body entirely and positioned adjacent said opening and ardirectly into the body exclusive of the heater ranged to force air therethrough from within unit. the body, hollow means below the floor and 3. In a heating and ventilating apparatus. communicating with the opening, tubular a housing open at each end and adapted to be means within said hollow means and adaptpositioned above a vehicle body floor, said ed for connection to a source of heat to form ousing being arranged to contain a power a heating-element, means rigid with and pardriven fan, a heater unitincluding'a housing tially dividing the hollow means and armally through the first named housing, said partition being arrangedto'close the communicaheated, a wall therefor having an opening tion afforded by said first named means and therethrough, a hollow member positioned in to, at such time, open said direct communioverlying relation to said opening on one side cationpositioned below the body floor, means afrangedto direct air forced through said floor fording air communication from the fan conopening to substantially all the heat radiattaining portions of the firstnamed housing ing surfaces of the tubular means, and means into the heater unit housin and back into the including the dividing means to conduct the preventing direct communication vehicle body.

8. In combination, a vehicle body to be of the wall within the body and communi- A'motor vehicle body heating and veneating with the opening, air flow inducing tilating apparatus, comprising, a housing means housed by the member, a second holthere being a mova le partition, norheated air from said hollow means into the l 6 open at each end and adapted to be positioned low member on the opposite side of th ewall heating element disposed within said other.

positioned adjacent said opening and having inlet and outlet aifording means both including said opening, said inlet affording means communicating with thefirst hollow flow inducing means adjacent said openlng and arranged to force air from the body through sald opening, means forming a two part chamber below the body floor, one part in communication with the floor opening, a

pert, means afiording air communication om one part to the other, means for conducting air, warmed by the heating element, back into the vehicle body, there being means to block both entrance and exit of air to and from the chamber through said opening and conducting means.

10. In combination, a vehicle body, a wall therefor having an opening therethrough, air flow inducing means adjacent said opening arranged to force air therethrough from within the body, a hollow member on the outer side of said wall adjacent to and communicatin with said opening, said member having su stantially continuous side walls and a wall remote from the said body wall -joined thereto, a web positioned in said hollow member having one edge spaced from the remote wall of said member and havlng its side edges substantially abutting opposite side" walls and arranged to deflect cold air forced through the opening toward the remote wall of the 'member, a heating element opposite the space at the spaced edge of the web and within the said member, there being means to conduct heated air from the space surrounding the element,to within the body.

11. In heating and aerating apparatus, a 'hollowair collecting shell adapted to be p0- sitioned on one side of a wall of; the body to be heated and aerated, and adjacent an opening in such wall, a second hollow shell adapted to be positioned on the opposite side of such wall adjacent such opening, an air flo w inducing unit in one shell, a heating unit in the other shell, said shells having respective mutually telescoping tubular parts one projecting into the opening and affording air communication between the two shells, there til being flanges on each shell adapted to be forced against such body wall and thereby hold the telescoping parts in constant relation. i

12. In combination, a vehicle body, a wall therefor, an opening through the wall, two hollow members superposed-on each other 1 and both communicating with the wall opening, dividing means for both members extending continuously through the opening and arranged to direct air from one member outwardlyto the other member and then back into the first specifically mentioned member, air flow inducing means in one of the members on one side of the dividing means, a heating unit in the other member. on the opposite side the dividing means, and means atfording an inlet and outlet for air to and from the member housing the air flow inducing means.

'13; In a device of the class described, a heater casing having a partition therein dividing the casing into two enlarged chambers, a heating element within the casing on one side of said partition, said partition being spaced edgewise from one wall of the casing to provide communication from one chamber to the other, a wall of the casing opposite the heating element being inclined toward the heating element to direct air toward such element, and inlet and outlet openings in the casing positioned on opposite sides of said partition.

14. In a motor vehicle, in combination a body having a floor, a heating apparatus for the body comprising inlet and outlet openings through the floor, a casin below the floor communicating with the out et opening, air forcing means disposed in the casing arranged to draw air from the body through the outlet opening, a second casing located below the body floor, a heating element within the sec- 0nd casing, means to conduct air from the first mentioned casing to the second mentioned casing to heat such air, and means to conduct the heated air from the second mentioned casing to the said inlet opening.

15. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a body having a substantially horizontal floor, a heating apparatus for the body, comprising inlet and outlet openings in the body substantially in the plane of the floor, a casing 5 located below the floor, conduit means arranged to convey air from said outlet opening to said casing, conduit means arranged to convey air from said casing to said inlet opening, a heatingelement contained in said casing for imparting heat to air circulated through said casing, and airforcing means associated with the conduit means of one of said openings, said air forcing means comprising an electrically operated air forcing fan unit.

16. In a motor vehicle,'in combination, a body having a substantially horizontal floor,

a heating apparatus for the body comprising inlet and outlet openings in the body sub- 12 stantially in the plane of the floor, a casing located below the floor, conduit means arranged to convey air from said outlet opening to said casing, conduit means arranged to convey air from said casing to the said inlet opening, a heating element contained in said casing for imparting heat to" air circulated through said casing, and air forcing means associated with the conduit means of one of said openings, said air forcing means 6 p I I i y being adapted to be controlled to vary the volume of air delivered from the casing to of the operation of,

said heating element.

the body, independently 17 In a motorvehicle, in combination, a

body havinga substantially horizontal floor,

a heater casing disposed below the floor, a

heating element housed by said casing, an outlet opening in the floor for conveying relatively cool air from the body to the casing,

there being conduit means afiording definite communication from the opening to the casing, an inlet opening in the bodysubstantially in the plane of said floor, and conduit means communicating between the casing and the inlet opening, and an electrically operated air forcing unit associated with the. outlet opening. and arranged to force air from the body through said conduit means and easing and back into the body, said unit being under the control of; the operator of the vehicle, whereby the air volume may be regulated, as required, independently of the operation of the heating element.

18. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a

body having a substantially. horizontal floor, a heating apparatus for the body, comprising inlet and outlet openings in the body sub- I ing heat to air circulated through said casstantially in the plane of the floor, a casing located below the floor, conduit means arranged to convey air from said outlet opening to said casing, conduit means arranged to convey air from said casing to the inlet opening, aheating element contained in said casing for imparting heat to air circulated through said casing, and an electrically driven air forcing unit associated'with the conduit means of said outlet opening, and disposed above the floor, whereby said unit is protected against direct radiation of heat from the heating element..

19. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a body having a substantially horizontal floor,

, heating apparatus for the body comprising an inlet opening in the body and a casing located below the floor, conduit means communicating .between the casing and said opening, conduit means below the floor for conveying air tothe said casing, a heating element contained in said casing for imparting, and an electrically driven air forcin unit incorporated in the second mentione condult means and spaced a substantial distance from the said casing for blowing air through said conduit means, and casing and into the body. In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures.

. ALFRED R. LINTERN. GEORGE D. LINTERN. 

